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by MarineTLChapter 155: Female Educated Youth 25
After receiving a dose of “tough love,” Fan Zhili became much more subdued. She tearfully vented her grievances to Ren Xin. “My family took my merit pennant away. They said they were afraid I’d get it dirty if I kept it. Plus, they teamed up to lecture me for an hour. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have written such a cocky letter…”
“Did your parents leave?”
Fan Zhili shook her head. “No, they want to meet you. They said the only reason I’ve become so successful is because of you, so they want to thank you properly.”
In the end, Ren Xin hosted everyone for another BBQ on the beach.
Ren Xin listened as Fan Zhili’s relatives thanked her over and over, showering her with numerous gifts. Seeing that she couldn’t refuse, Ren Xin had no choice but to accept them.
Once they were sent off, Ren Xin switched back into “flat-lay1” mode.
The other Sent-down Youth had completed their temporary assignments and were gradually returning to their original locations. Ren Xin and Fan Zhili remained with the Production and Construction Corps, coasting along and waiting for their paychecks.
When Fan Zhili’s friends were leaving, they came to find her, hoping she could find a way to recommend them for good positions.
Fan Zhili refused them outright. “The reason I can stay here isn’t because I’m capable, it’s because I’m thick-skinned. I don’t have the power to arrange jobs for you. Besides, Ren Xin asked you all to look for interesting things for us before, and after all this time, not a single one of you brought anything. You couldn’t even grasp an opportunity when it was right in front of you, so what do you expect me to do? I’m just riding someone else’s coattails myself!”
They parted on bad terms, with the friends accusing Fan Zhili of having no sense of loyalty and declaring they were no longer friends.
Fan Zhili felt a bit sad. She muttered to Ren Xin, “I was telling the truth. They aren’t as lucky as me, yet they don’t want to work hard. What kind of fairy tales are they dreaming up every day?”
Ren Xin suddenly felt that Fan Zhili must be the lucky female lead of some era-based novel2. She had a harmonious family that cherished her, she hadn’t suffered after being sent to the countryside, she had people protecting her, and she earned honors without having to lift a finger. Later, she would likely breeze into university and find a respectable job. She was practically a winner at life.
Book Spirit Number One started chattering away: “Ginseng, you’re not doing too bad yourself. You don’t do a lick of ginseng-work every day, you get chased out of places, you exhaust your heart and soul to complete tasks only to get mediocre reviews from people, this…”
Ren Xin: “…” Shut the hell up!
Fan Zhili’s daily routine consisted of nothing but taste-testing. She successfully ate her way into becoming a little butterball.
“Waaaah! I don’t want to live anymore! I can’t button my pants, and my shirt buttons are popping off…”
Ren Xin offered no comfort; instead, she laughed uproariously, which only made Fan Zhili cry harder.
The older women of the village tried to soothe her. “It’s fine. A plump little girl is endearing; we all like you like this. Once your body finishes developing, you’ll naturally slim down.”
Fan Zhili asked uncertainly, “Is that true? I can really get thin again?”
The women nodded with absolute confidence.
And so, believing them, Fan Zhili opened another bag of new products and resumed her taste-testing.
The current Qiong Province was no longer the “Poor Province” it once was. Various canned fruits were in such high demand they could barely keep them in stock, and the same went for the dried fruits. Money was pouring in by the bucketload.
Because many of the exotic fruits were things people had never seen before, everyone wanted a taste. To their surprise, the flavors were so addictive they couldn’t stop eating, and since the prices were reasonable, a buying frenzy broke out.
Orders flooded in one after another. Chen Aiguo knew that the Production Corps couldn’t keep up with the supply on its own, so he smartly chose to outsource.
Everyone would make money together, achieving the goal of common prosperity3.
Translator’s Notes
- flat-lay: A translation of the modern Chinese slang ‘tang ping’ (lying flat), representing a lifestyle choice to reject societal pressures and overwork in favor of a low-stress, minimalist existence. ↩
- era-based novel: A popular genre of Chinese web fiction (chuanyue) where the protagonist is often reborn or transmigrated into a specific historical period, typically the 1960s-1980s. ↩
- common prosperity: A significant socio-economic concept in China (gongtong fuyu) aimed at reducing wealth inequality and ensuring that the benefits of development are shared by all citizens. ↩
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